Special thanks today to Guilford Tobey on his birthday, January 9, 1936. Gil and his grandson, Dan, both master craftsman, shared their skills and expertise with us in the restoration of the Rochester & Eastern Railway Trolley Shelter. Thanks very much, Gil and Dan! ...

Rochester Area Rail Museums

Victor Hiking Trails

Partners in preserving local rail history.

The Victor area is also privileged to have Victor Hiking Trails, a volunteer community organization, committed to adapting railroad and railway right-of-ways for hiking, biking and recreation. For further information, visit their web site at Victor Hiking Trails.

[In our latest newsletter, we’re featuring members of the Executive Board of FORR and will be highlighting others in our next newsletter. Joel is a founding member and has been President of Friends of the Railroad since its inception.]

Ever since I can remember, I have had a love for trains and railroads. When I was young, as steam locomotives were being replaced by those that were diesel powered, my father would take our family to visit the places which had them. “Where there is steam, we will go,” he would say.

Mural artist Amy Colburn has just finished work on her latest project: a large mural on the trackside of the Murphy’s Tires building on Niagara Street in Canandaigua. With the help of a movable scaffold created by her father Marty Wheeler, Amy has spent the last two months painting a scene of daily life at the Canandaigua railroad station as it may have appeared in 1916.

Many of the Union Pacific workers were Irish and German immigrants, and many had seen service in the Civil War. As the railroad move farther west, it entered Sioux territory. While the Indians had largely ignored the occasional wagon train, this was clearly a serious threat to their way of life. Attacks became more frequent and progress slowed as the ex-soldiers were diverted into armed units assigned to protect the remaining work crews. The work went on at a relatively fast pace; one Central Pacific crew laid about 10 miles of track in one day — a tremendous accomplishment since they had no power equipment.

Volunteers are cleaning and sorting historical artifacts for a Railroad Room at Valentown to be ready for the Spring opening of the museum. Contact Allen Johnson at ( 585) 924-7384 if you are able to help.

The Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway Trolley Station and grounds need work early in 2015 to prepare it for the dedication next summer.

There are several community organizations we need to thank and acknowledge. We are most indebted to the Fishers Fire District for permitting us to locate the station on District property. They have been very supportive of our efforts while working on and maintaining this tangible piece of our local history. We also thank Victor Parks and Recreation for their help with preparing the site. We thank Victor Hiking Trails for assisting with clearing the site and allowing us to share the trolley station with everyone who uses the Auburn Trail.

Items that need to be finished at the trolley station before the grand opening this summer: